How to Do a London Staycation: Hotels Worth Booking in Your Own City

Booking a hotel in the city where you already live sounds faintly absurd until you do it. No luggage queue, no airport, and a different postcode to wake up in. The trick is choosing somewhere that offers more than a bed, because you are not trying to be near the sights. You know where they are.

What to look for

Start with the reason to stay in. Every hotel below has something beyond the room: a rooftop pool, a pub downstairs, a bar, a spa or a kitchen. If you can spend a whole afternoon without leaving the building, a staycation has done its job.

Then think about flexibility. You are not catching a flight, so ask about late check-out. Mr & Mrs Smith notes that check-in and check-out at The Newman are flexible on request, and The Hoxton offers free early check-in and late check-out when you book direct.

Finally, expect prices to swing. The same hotel is quoted at two or three times its lowest rate depending on the date, so compare midweek against weekend, and compare direct against third-party rates. All the prices below are indicative, so check before you go.

East London

The Culpeper, Spitalfields

A pub with a restaurant downstairs and just five rooms above, on Commercial Street, less than a kilometre from Liverpool Street station and a short walk from Old Spitalfields Market. Time Out ranks it fifth in its best London hotels list and calls it the best pub with rooms. Breakfast is included, and rooms are double, family or suite. Expect roughly £100 to £190, and book early because there are so few rooms. The rooftop is currently closed, so look at the pub's own site before you book to see what is open.

The Hoxton, Shoreditch

The brand's original hotel, on Great Eastern Street, has been open since 2006 and was refurbished in 2025. Old Street is the nearest station. Mr & Mrs Smith mentions revamped mid-century interiors, an Italian restaurant and a rooftop Peruvian restaurant. Booking direct gets you free early check-in and late check-out, plus free cancellation until 2pm the day before arrival, which is handy if the weather changes your mind. Price band: ££.

Town Hall Hotel, Bethnal Green

A converted Edwardian town hall on Patriot Square with art deco interiors, sitting between Shoreditch and Victoria Park. Its apartment style suites come with kitchens, which suits a longer stay or anyone who wants to cook. It also has a restaurant and a pool. Bethnal Green station is about a four minute walk. Time Out gives it five stars and points to its prices as unusually good for a boutique stay. Think ££ to £££.

The West End

The Newman, Fitzrovia

An 81 room independent hotel at 50 Newman Street, opened in 2026, with a Nordic inspired spa, Brasserie Angelica and Gambit Bar. Time Out ranks it second in London and calls it the best boutique hotel, placing it between the British Museum and Soho. Klook puts Tottenham Court Road at a four minute walk. It has step-free access. This is the top end of the list, with the cheapest doubles quoted from around £500 a night, and suites well above that.

Claridge's, Mayfair

If the point of the weekend is to be thoroughly looked after, Time Out named it London's best hotel in 2026. It stands on Brook Street, with Bond Street the nearest station, and a standard room is about 50 square metres. Time Out suggests the Fumoir cocktail bar over the better known Claridge's Bar. Price band: ££££.

King's Cross and the South Bank of ideas

The Standard, London, King's Cross

A 266 room hotel in the former Camden Town Hall Annex, with a restaurant, bar, nightclub and fitness room, and 42 room styles from the Cosy Core to terrace suites. Time Out ranks it fourth. Mr & Mrs Smith suggests asking for a suite with a roll top bath, since not every room has one. Rates run from roughly £150 to £470 depending on date.

South of the river

art'otel London Battersea Power Station

On Electric Boulevard in the Battersea Power Station development, this is the one for a swim. Time Out puts it eighth on its best hotels list and calls it London's best hotel with a rooftop pool, and the hotel advertises a heated rooftop pool of its own. The hotel's site lists paid rooftop classes with breakfast included, such as sunrise yoga and aqua aerobics, though dates and prices change. Rooms sleep two adults and two children, and dogs are welcome. Expect from roughly £175 to £325 a night depending on the date.

The City

Vintry & Mercer

On Garlick Hill, two minutes from Cannon Street station and Mansion House tube, with 92 rooms and suites, and pets allowed. The draw is the Mercer Roof Terrace, with views of St Paul's and the Shard. The Quality Edit calls it a boutique stay in the City without the hustle and bustle. Tripadvisor shows rooms from about £196, though check before you go. Price band: ££ to £££.

Choosing between them

• For a swim and a family: art'otel Battersea Power Station.
• For a pub weekend on a budget: The Culpeper.
• For a kitchen and some space: Town Hall Hotel.
• For flexible dates and a lively address: The Hoxton.
• For a proper treat: The Newman or Claridge's.
• For a nightclub in the building: The Standard.
• For a roof terrace and skyline: Vintry & Mercer.

Whichever you pick, plan the weekend around the building rather than the postcode. The best London staycations involve very little travelling at all.